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In my paralegal studies service learning class, I’ve been working with the Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo defending eviction cases at the Buffalo City Court. I’ve witnessed first-hand accounts of the devastation the housing crisis in Buffalo has created. Buffalo has the oldest housing stock in the nation, with 67% of homes being built before 1940. In 2016, the poverty rate in the city of Buffalo was 30.5% and 55% of Buffalo households could not afford their rent. Homes in the city are old, falling apart, uninhabitable, and still too expensive for low-income families to afford. While people raise the question of “why don’t you just call the city inspector,” it’s a much larger issue because safe and inexpensive living situations are so hard to come by. This project documents the true reality low-income individuals living in Buffalo face.